IOTC-2010-WPEB-inf01 Draft identification guide IOTC Working Party on Ecosystems and Bycatch (WPEB) Victoria, Seychelles 27-30 October, 2010 Mobulidae of the Indian Ocean: an identification hints for field sampling Draft, version 2.1, August 2010 by Romanov Evgeny(1)* (1) IRD, UMR 212 EME, Centre de Recherche Halieutique Mediterraneenne et Tropicale Avenue Jean Monnet – BP 171, 34203 Sete Cedex, France (
[email protected]) * Present address: Project Leader. Project “PROSpection et habitat des grands PElagiques de la ZEE de La Réunion” (PROSPER), CAP RUN, ARDA, Magasin n°10, Port Ouest, 97420, Le Port, La Réunion, France. ABSTRACT Draft identification guide for species of Mobulidae family, which is commonly observed as by-catch in tuna associated fishery in the region is presented. INTRODUCTION Species of Mobulidae family are a common bycatch occurs in the pelagic tuna fisheries of the Indian Ocean both in the industrial (purse seine and longline) and artisanal (gillnets) sector (Romanov 2002; White et al., 2006; Romanov et al., 2008). Apparently these species also subject of overexploitation: most of Indian Ocean species marked as vulnerable or near threatened at the global level, however local assessment are often not exist (Table). Status of the species of the family Mobulidae in the Indian Ocean (IUCN, 2007) IUCN Status1 Species Common name Global status WIO EIO Manta birostris (Walbaum 1792) Giant manta NT - VU Manta alfredi (Krefft, 1868) Alfred manta - - - Mobula eregoodootenkee Longhorned - - - (Bleeker, 1859) mobula Mobula japanica (Müller & Henle, Spinetail mobula NT - - 1841) Mobula kuhlii (Müller & Henle, Shortfin devil ray NE - - 1841) Mobula tarapacana (Philippi, Chilean devil ray DD - VU 1892) Mobula thurstoni (Lloyd, 1908) Smoothtail NT - - mobula Lack of the data on the distribution, fisheries and biology of mobulids is often originated from the problem with specific identification of these species in the field.